


Into the Dark

by MadRise



Series: Into the Dark [1]
Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (Comics), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Banter, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Flirting, Fluff, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-10-28 20:16:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10838634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadRise/pseuds/MadRise
Summary: ***Currently undergoing some heavy editing and I'm rewriting a plot line or two. Check back later please. Xoxo.***Rose is a simple woman. She always knows what she wants and how to get it. Negan is much more complicated, and once he shows up everything becomes a bit blurry. Will Rose continue to make the right choices, or will she follow Negan into the dark?





	1. The Chase Concludes

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Irresistible Danger](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6522247) by [alreynolds13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alreynolds13/pseuds/alreynolds13). 
  * Inspired by [Saint Is A Sinner Too](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9621410) by [mcnegan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcnegan/pseuds/mcnegan). 
  * Inspired by [The Honey House](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8050648) by [SuperPrincessPea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperPrincessPea/pseuds/SuperPrincessPea). 
  * Inspired by [rules of the game](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6797308) by [thatsparrow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsparrow/pseuds/thatsparrow). 



**"You learned to run from what you feel, and that's why you have nightmares. To deny is to invite madness. To accept is to control."**

The pouring rain did nothing to improve my sour mood. I also didn't appreciate the strong wind, which forced me to walk at an abnormally fast pace. I clung to the side of the asphalt as I anticipated some asshole to come speeding down the middle of the road. Even though vehicles were limited back at camp, I had an inkling one of the guys would be out and about taking an unnecessary joyride.

Apparently people would rather die at the hands of a walker than begin their slow descent towards boredom.

Last time I rode in a car I was with a scavenger returning from a supply run. It took the last of my self-control to refrain from beating the shit out of him for speeding in the middle of a thunderstorm. His response reflected his immaturity perfectly; he laughed his ass off the entire ride back. Between gasps for air, he managed to tell me to "lighten up a bit." My desire to protect the medicine in the backseat said otherwise.

I sighed heavily as I pulled my hoodie back onto my soaked head. The only thing I had successfully kept dry was my pocket knife that was stashed within the confines of my bra. I had already accepted the fact that everything in my backpack was completely ruined. The words written in my journal had long since melted down the pages. My heart ached at the thought of rewriting everything.

_None of this would've happened if you had been prepared._

My original plan was simple. All I needed was a short trip outside to clear my head. Yet, I had drifted off into my thoughts and unknowingly crossed the territory line a while back. I'd only realized what I'd done once I noticed there weren't blue ribbons tied around any of the nearby trees.

I smiled faintly as I remembered tying the fabric around the tree bark with the others. Laughter floated through the woods and small smirks were plastered on everyone's faces. The older women began to hum a familiar tune while the younger girls danced with one another.

There was a lack of innocence in the world now and something about that memory seemed so pure.

The sound of an engine in the distance startled me from my thoughts. I instantly felt my throat start to close up and my anxiety levels skyrocketed.

_I thought I told nobody to fucking follow me._

I frantically whirled around in circles in order to determine where the sound had come from.

To my horror, I discovered the vehicle currently barreling down the road came from the opposite direction of camp.

_Calm down. Don't jump to conclusions. It could be one of the guys coming back from scouting._

I narrowed my eyes in a vain attempt to see what type of vehicle it was. Fear was eating me alive and deep down I knew something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Once the large truck came into view I practically threw myself into the forest.

_We don't have trucks back at camp._

I darted in and out of the trees. Sticks and twigs crunched loudly under my heavy footsteps. I felt myself slip on the slick ground more than once, but I wouldn't allow myself to fall. I had to keep moving. Different scenarios quickly found their way into my head and I desperately tried to suppress them.

I had to keep going; there was no other choice.

The engine revved behind me.

_I'm so fucked. Fucking fuck. This is it, isn't it? You could stop and fight them, whoever they are._

I let out a nervous laugh as I continued my sprinting. Considering my only weapon was a tiny knife, there was no other option other than running like a little bitch. There was no Plan B, no door number two.

I really was fucked.

I scolded myself repeatedly as I scanned my surroundings. My eyes found nothing lurking in the shadows and I felt a sliver of hope creep into my heart.

I was reluctant to change my pace even after I thought I was a safe distance from the road, but my burning lungs made the decision for me. Without damaging my pride too much, I forced myself to slow to a jog. I choked out another awkward laugh. The word "safe" was one that hadn't popped into my head in quite a long time.

_Maybe you'd actually be safe, to a certain degree, if you had told someone where you were going you fucking dumbass._

I never forgot to tell whoever was on guard duty where I was headed and when I'd be back. I also never left without taking a loaded gun.

_What are you gonna do now? You know she'll send a group to come find you._

I clenched my hands into fists at the thought of Jess sending a rescue team to retrieve me. The last thing I needed was a search party stumbling through the woods calling my name. The majority of them would be eaten alive in an instant.

I wasn't prepared to watch the shells of people I cared about shuffling through the woods, aimlessly looking for living flesh to feed on.

A quick glance at the sky caused my scowl to melt from my face. The downpour had ceased to a mere sprinkle and I hadn't even noticed until now. At least I could remove "terrible weather conditions" from the list of fucked up shit I had to deal with today.

I inhaled deeply to calm my nerves and continued jogging; my sore feet screaming with each step.

It wasn't until I came upon another road that I stopped moving altogether.

_What the hell?_

Jesse's voice echoed in my head as a warning. She had mentioned something about another community not far from ours at our last staff meeting. I had tuned most of the lecture out, except for one part in particular. She stressed to everyone that there was absolutely no reason to get involved with other groups. She claimed it caused too many problems and we already had everything we needed. This was her justification for locking every single one of us in Gatson. Whenever someone gathered enough courage to approach the subject, she'd say the exact same thing. Just like an actress reciting her lines, she always felt the need to reiterate her main point; everything she does is for our protection. All of us clearly understood that her actions spoke louder than her words. Even a blind man could clearly see Jess was a good person with a pure soul. But nevertheless, she continued on her tangents, and we listened every time. Or at least, we pretended to listen.

I had publicly agreed with her on several occasions that social interaction is not always a good thing. I typically sided with Jess on a lot of issues and followed the majority of her orders.

However, the only thing I had trouble with was our pretty little jail.

Anyone you ask can sugar coat the hell out of it, but that's what Gatson is. A jail.

A very nice, well-protected jail is still a jail at the end of the day.

Something about waking up every day to stare down steel gates makes me ill. To make matters even worse,  Jess is constantly recruiting new people.

She's completely oblivious to the fact that we have no more living space and that Gatson is slowly evolving into a hellhole.

So I needed a way out. I needed a little piece of something to myself. I can still remember when I informed her that I'd be going on routinely walks around our borders. She wasn't very pleased that I wasn't asking, which was expected, but she didn't put up a fight. She already knew there was no use in arguing with me. I convinced her to consider me as a friendly security guard simply walking the perimeters of our land. That earned me a scoff and a wave of her hand; she always had more important things to tend to.

I'll be the first to admit that we butt heads on occasion, but we always work things out in a timely manner. We've known each other for so long that anything that remained unresolved would kill us both.

I've been walking the same route for three weeks and my little escapades have always gone smoothly. I've never gotten lost, never passed the ribbons and never encountered a truck.

I looked at the ground again with a sigh as I carefully weighed my options.

_It's not a good decision to waste time right now. Mr.Jackass is just around the corner, maybe even a horde too. Tick tock._

I slowly shuffled back into the forest. The trees now shaded me from the sun that decided to finally make an appearance. 

I reasoned with myself that it was foolish to walk out in the open after my little encounter. At least this way I had some form of camouflage.

I retrieved my compass from my backpack and headed South towards Gatson.

_A few hours tops, then you'll be able to curl up and fix your journal._

To this day, I still believe that at this exact moment God himself threw his head back in laughter. Not a little smirk, but the full-blown, pissing yourself kind of laughter.

I swear I could hear a faint chuckle in the wind.

Only after a couple minutes of walking, I thought I saw movement on the road up ahead. I inched myself closer, all the while hiding behind large tree trunks.

Five antique cars sat motionless in the middle of the road. They were positioned directly beside each other and were quite large, so they successfully blocked the path.

_Well, this isn't sketchy at all._

I sat frozen behind the tree bark, quiet and calculating.

I picked up a decent sized rock that was laying on the ground and threw it into the road.

Nothing.

I placed my fingers in my mouth and let out a piercing whistle.

Dead silence.

As I moved swiftly from tree to tree my eyes remained glued to the cars. I was afraid I would miss something if I blinked.

I was beyond petrified to approach the cars; I didn't even want to properly inspect them to see if they worked.

I continued watching the road intently, neglecting to watch where I was walking.

A few seconds later, I felt my foot slip and I let out a yelp. I frantically dug my hands into the ground around me in an attempt to prevent myself from falling into the unknown. My uneven breaths caused me to inhale clumps of dirt much to my lung's dismay. My legs flailed as I struggled to keep myself from landing in the abyss looming below me. My desperate grasps found a tree root buried deep in the earth. I violently yanked the root out of its hiding place and held onto it, praying my only lifeline wasn't weak enough to snap. I pulled myself towards the surface, shoving my boots into the dirt wall to create dents as I propelled my body upwards.

One final pep talk gave me enough strength to haul my torso back onto the ground level.

After my feet were no longer dangling over the edge, I immediately scooted backward, startling myself when I painfully slammed into a tree.

I sat there motionless, not concerned with anything other than slowing my breathing.

My curiosity became overwhelming and I finally pushed myself to my feet. My eyebrows instantly furrowed in confusion once I'd discovered what exactly I had fallen into.

“What the fuck?”

It wasn't a hole or a ditch like I had originally thought; it was a trench. A trench that stretched so long and wide that it seemed to never end. No matter how athletic one might be, there was no chance someone could jump over to the other side.

Even though I was annoyed by the fact that I had almost fell victim to a trap, I had a strange admiration for the entire setup. Whoever created the whole thing was resourceful. The trenches forced people to confront the road, and the cars were an effective roadblock.

Whatever was on the other side, someone was trying to protect from prying eyes.

I raked my eyes across the ground, checking for incoming walkers or more deadly traps. Once I was satisfied with my surroundings, I ripped a couple of twigs from my hair and readjusted my backpack on my sagging shoulders.

I retrieved my knife and crouched as I warily approached the road.

For the first time, I was given the chance to properly appreciate the beauty of the vehicles. Each car seemed to be in pristine condition. I snickered in disbelief at the specks of glitter in one of the vehicle's paint.

I sprinted over to the driver's side of the sparkling red car and held my breath as I tried the door handle.

A loud squeak rang out as it swung open. My eyes grew wide with panic as I quickly glanced around in every direction.

And so I waited.

I waited for anything and everything to come running out of its hiding place to lunge at me.

Armed with a little pointy piece of metal, I waited for death to come pay me a visit.

It didn't take long before I grew tired of waiting.

I peered into the vehicle with my a death grip on my knife.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my free hand and slid rather gracefully into the driver's seat. I gently closed the door behind me with a faint click. I lightly brushed my fingertips across the sleek dashboard, marveling at the car's interior. I caught a whiff of something sweet and inhaled deeply to confirm my suspicion. I touched the miniature air freshener hanging from the front mirror as the artificial scent of cherries brought a large smile to my face. I shifted closer to the front mirror and grimaced at my appearance.

My face was coated in dirt and the bags under my eyes had grown substantially over the last couple of days. There were leaves and sticks still wrapped around strands of my hair. My clothing wasn't in the best condition either, as my shirt had sustained some serious damage with various stains and tears in the fabric. I attempted to make myself look presentable, carefully avoiding the large cut on my lip.

After giving up on my looks, I leaned across the seat to search the glove compartment. I shoved countless manuals back where they belonged and continued on my quest to find a set of keys. I slammed my hands onto the steering wheel in frustration after I came uempty-handeded.

_You might as well check the other cars. Who knows, you might hit the jackpot._

I planted both of my feet on the asphalt as I swiftly exited the car.

That was when I caught a glimpse of rotted flesh, but it was too late.

Snarling sounds filled the air while I struggled to keep the walker at an arm's length. I shoved it backwards and was rewarded with a small window of opportunity to slide my knife into the side of its head. As it slumped to the ground with a faint thud I noticed several more slowly limping in my direction. My eyes grew wide as I counted the dead bodies moving towards me.

 

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

_Thirteen? No, fuck. Sixteen? Holy fuck. Where did they all come from? What the fuck._

Panic started to course through my veins and I struggled to think of my next move. I was having trouble forming coherent thoughts. I turned to acknowledge the groaning I heard behind me.

Walkers approached me from the opposite side of the car. Sixteen steadily grew into twenty-five. Everything was happening too quickly, I could hardly breathe.

I swung the car door open and slammed it shut behind me, immediately regretting my decision. Walkers quickly surrounded the car, officially trapping me inside. The noise of their collective snarls was quickly becoming unbearable. _  
_

That was it.

A simple, singular mistake had possibly cost me my entire life.

_It's okay. It's all going to be okay._

This was pathetic, everyone I ever knew would be ashamed. A wave of disappointment washed over me, engulfing me in an unmeasurable sadness.

A single tear rolled down my cheek as I turned my attention to the walker directly in front of me. It gnawed at the window pane with a dislocated jaw, desperate to tear into living flesh. It was missing several teeth and a large shirt hung loosely around its thin frame. I placed my palm on the window, pretending I was touching it gently on the head.

Crack.

The walker's head exploded across the window and I instantly recoiled with a shriek.

Crack.

Crack.

Thwack.

More heads burst, showering the car in different shades of brown and burgundy. One by one they were all effectively picked off. Their blood and guts coated the glass which prevented me from identifying the source of the deadly blows. All I could see was a mysterious black figure moving swiftly around the car. I wiped my tears away with a shaky hand, my knife firmly grasped in the other.

Then everything went silent. No groans, no thuds, and no footsteps. Considering dead silence was something I hadn't experienced in a while, I was scared shitless. I tried to conceal my true emotions with a blank facial expression as I heard something approach the door of the car.

I slowly started to slide backward, attempting to flee from the opposite side of the car. I froze once the door swung open. I reluctantly swiveled my head around to look at the sunlight pouring in from outside.

He chuckled at my shocked expression, exposing his perfectly white teeth. The warm sound resonated around us as he bent down to rest his bloody baseball bat against the car. When he grinned, I felt the need to smile back, but my current state denied me that privilege.

He stood there for longer than I'd expected, staring down at me with hazel eyes, occasionally scratching the scruff that covered his chin. The only thing I could hear was the slowing of his rapid breathing and the crack of his bones as he stretched. I drank in his facial features as he drank in mine. Suddenly I was aware of my appearance and silently scolded myself once again.

An eternity had passed until he finally moved again, resting his arm gently on the hood. He pushed his head inside the car to get a better look at me, his tight leather jacket stretching as he leaned in my direction. He took in a rather deep breath before he spoke.

"Now sweetheart, I do like my quiet time as much as the next fella, but I'd prefer if that pretty little mouth of yours did some talkin. Come on now, I won't hurt cha."

He extended his hand and wiggled his fingers. I cautiously accepted, giving into the black leather gloves that invited me to grab hold. I regarded his figure with a newfound curiosity as his eyes crinkled with amusement. My feet landed on the asphalt and I immediately untangled my fingers from his. He continued to walk towards the car opposite from us, leaning up against the door in a casual stance. I remained in the same spot, standing directly in front of the car that had previously held me captive mere minutes ago.

_Mhm. What are you hiding old man._

I pulled my knife into view, cleaning it on my jeans thoroughly. I glanced up to see his facial expression, which to my surprise hadn't changed that much. A hint of concern laid dormant behind his eyes as he lazily eyed his baseball bat, which was still leaning against the side of the car. He allowed me to finish cleaning it in silence, but once I made a move to place it in my bra he opened his mouth again.

"I hope you don't plan on using that thing on lil ole me."

_Hm._

"God no," I scoffed. "I only use this thing on certified assholes."

"Good thing I'm not certified then." He said with a wink.

I threw a small smirk in his direction, noticing his eyes roaming my figure as I put my knife in its rightful place.

_I wonder if you flirt with every pretty little thing you find. I mean, I certainly don't blame you. Jesus, Aphrodite herself would probably fall to her knees for you._

"Well handsome, I'm Rose," I said, walking closer to inspect him further. "Thanks for rescuing me honey, I couldn't have asked for a better knight in shining armor."

"Handsome?" He questioned, as he rocked back and forth on his heels. His face was consumed by a shit eating grin.

"And you are?" I asked, my eyebrow arched to place emphasis on my question.

"I'm the fucking leader of the Saviors darlin, but most people call me Negan."

I pursed my lips as I responded. "Saviors? How fitting."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot damn, the struggle is real. I really don't know where I'm heading with this one, I just know that it's gonna be a slow burn. But what I do know is that my story is not gonna have anything to do with Rick and his group. 
> 
> No Rick (sorry ladies) and no Daryl (don't hurt me). I just feel like a majority of Negan fics slowly lead to a confrontation with Rick's group and I'm just not about that life. This one is based on the Saviors and nothing but. I really want to explore what other acts of violence, if any (lmao "if"), Negan would commit if the whole Glenn/Glenn and Abraham death scene didn't exist.
> 
> I'm also going to be basing a lot on the TV show rather than the comics. I'll look up some issues or glance at the wiki when I need to check some facts, but most of my knowledge I'll rely on is straight from the show.
> 
> With that said, updates will be very slow for now. This whole thing is a little passion project of mine to de-stress from studying for finals and things. Come summer time my updates will be very frequent (hopefully). Unless I get a hella bad case of writer's block. 
> 
> Most of the chapters should be around the same length unless I get on a roll and can't stop writing. I cut off my chapters based on when I think it's best to stop, rather than a word count.
> 
> If you see any typos/any other errors, please let me know. I'm also open to criticism.
> 
> You don't like the ending of a chapter? You don't like how I'm depicting a certain character? You want more Negan because you think he's hot as fuck? Send me a message bb, lemme know the deets. That's all for now. God bless you if you stayed this long.
> 
> Tldr;  
> \- Slow burn  
> \- No Rick/Daryl/His Group  
> \- Savior based  
> \- Slow Updates  
> \- Chapters ----> different lengths  
> \- Errors/Typos/Criticism/Anything Else ----> shoot me a message
> 
> Toodles. <3


	2. An Eventful Discussion

**"You should never trust a wolf in sheep's clothing. Because the only thing the wolf will ever want to do is break you."**

 

"What? I think the title suits me very fucking well. I'm tempted to change it to Sir Knight in Shining Armor though. That's certainly a damn first for me."

His voice had escalated clearly showing a mixture of annoyance and excitement. He ran his gloved hand through his slicked back hair with a sigh.

"Anyways, back to the point I was trying so hard to make, what in the teetotal fuck are you doing in one of my cars?"

_Oh. About that..._

"Now I don't mind you resting your fine little ass in one of my precious leather seats, but now I gotta get this fucker cleaned again. I go through a lot of trouble to keep these beauties looking this good. I just need a fucking explanation. Don't you think one is in fucking order darlin?"

He leaned forward before he continued.

"And since you probably didn't fucking know sunshine, I don't like it when people don't answer me."

I gulped as I contemplated exactly what I was willing to share with him. The fact that he seemed so unpredictable made me feel queasy.

"Well, I didn't exactly plan for any of this. I honestly thought I had no other choice than to jump in a car. You saw how many there were, I can't fend off that many with a fucking knife. Was it the best decision I could've made? Probably not. The important thing is that I'm still breathing."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is why you need a weapon of mass destruction." He made a point to shake his finger at me like I was a misbehaving child, all the while wearing a shit eating grin.

_Play his little game Rose, maybe that'll prevent you from getting killed. A little teasing never hurt nobody. Yet._

I interjected before he could spit another word out.

"Well, from what I've seen, you don't seem to have one either."

His mouth snapped shut and he paused, trying to follow my words.

"You don't think Lucille over there is a weapon fucking fit for the apocalypse?" He questioned, his tone was laced with anger.

"Oh no honey, I was talking about your other weapon of mass destruction."

I dropped my eyes to his pants and squinted.

"I take that back, from here it doesn't even look like a weapon at all. I'd say it's more of a, actually, I don't even know what to call something so small. I know grandpas can have problems when they get older, but damn. It's such a shame since you have a mighty fine face."

I waited for a reaction, worried that I had crossed a line. I highly doubted that I'd offended him, but I still held my breath in anticipation.

His eyebrows shot up and he let out another hearty laugh.

I exhaled and closed my eyes for a brief moment.

"God damn, I like you. You're a fucking fast one. Play your cards right and maybe my other weapon of mass destruction might make an appearance sometime."

My eyes shot open and held in a dramatic eye roll.

_Breathe, don't let him get to you._

I crossed my arms while trying to maintain a neutral expression.

"Gathering from our conversation so far, you seem to throw it at everything with tits and two legs. I'm not really the type of girl to be a side chick, honey. As for what you said earlier, the knife is the best thing I've found. I can't exactly tote around a chainsaw or some shit, a girl can only carry so much."

"I see. Well then, that prompts yet another fucking question. What group did you come from?"

_Well shit, that didn't take long at all. He isn't one to beat around the bush._

My mouth began to water as I tried to hide my panicking.

"Did I stutter sweetheart? What. Group. Did. You. Come. From?"

"What makes you think I came from a group? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I haven't had a group for a while."

I mentally kicked myself as my words replayed in my head.

_"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." That's fucking precious. Shall we take a minute to remember where you were before Negan showed up?_

"Darlin, I can see right through your bullshit. I commend you for trying though, this whole act would've fooled half the fuckers back at the compound. But me? Oh no, not me. I've played the part of the bullshitter too many fucking times. I know all the little tricks and I can pick one out from a fucking crowd. And dear lord, the fact that you had the guts to tell me that you can take care of yourself tickles my fucking balls. Last time I checked I'm the one that saved your fucking ass. But don't beat yourself up too fucking much, we all need a little help every now and then."

_Contain yourself, don't punch him. Just, slap him around a little. I'm joking, don't do that either._

I clenched my fists as I resisted the urge to strangle him.

"Do you blame me though? I mean, you show up in a fucking leather jacket with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire in your hands and you expect me to follow your lead like a lost puppy? You're not exactly the definition of approachable honey. I think I need a little more to go off of before I trust you. Sure, you saved my life, and I'm more than grateful for that. But we've known each other for what, thirty minutes tops? Cut me some slack Negan."

He stared at me for a moment, wearing his signature grin. He quickly let himself become distracted, his eyes following something in the distance.

"Oh, Mr.Smartass doesn't have a remark for this one?"

_It's like talking to a fucking wall._

I watched as he sauntered over to Lucille, picking her up and gently resting her on his shoulder. He slowly turned to face me once again as I unfolded my crossed arms. His long strides were painfully slow in my direction. He stopped once we were standing directly in front of each other. He started to rotate Lucille, chuckling to himself in the process.

"What?" I asked, praying my tone hide my impatience.

"Oh, nothing. I was just imaging you on your knees in front of me showing me exactly how grateful you are."

Completely disregarding his innuendo, I concerned myself with apologizing for lying straight to his face. At least I had a solid chance at completely changing the conversation.

_They'll be plenty of time for flirting later, that is, if he decides not to murder you. You need to earn his trust._

"Look, I'm sorry for lying alright? In all honesty, I was just going for a walk to clear my head. I swear to God, that's the only reason why I was out here. I come from a group not too far from here. We mark our borders with blue ribbons tied around the trees."

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. This is fucking priceless. I'm going to piss myself pretty soon. You know Jess by chance?"

_Oh fuck._

Sheer terror spread through my whole body. I automatically denied any affiliation with Jess out of habit.

"Who?"

"You need to work on your fucking lying skills," he snickered. "I'm not fucking surprised that you're going on walks. I've been to Gatson with my men before, it's like a giant fucking fishbowl for fuck's sake."

I placed my face in both of my hands with a heavy sigh.

"I started going on walks about a month ago, or at least I think a month. Who the fuck measures time anymore? Anyways, my trips have always gone as planned, I don't even know what happened today. I passed the perimeter of our territory and ended up in the middle of fucking nowhere. Nobody has ever been out this far except for the scavengers. I fell into your little trap, which was shortly followed by the car fiasco. Everything just turned to shit."

"There we go! See, that wasn't so hard, now was it? Telling me the fucking truth goes a long way."

He was grinning like an idiot, barely containing his excitement.

"We'll see about that. I just know it feels like pulling teeth."

"Aw, don't be like that sweetcheeks."

"I'll be fine once I'm back home. If you could do me one more favor by pointing in the right direction I'll be on my way."

I tried to end the conversation abruptly to no avail. I was running out of ideas and I needed to bolt.

He forced out a laugh which caused me to cringe.

"You think I'm just gonna let you walk away from this?"

I looked at him incredulously.

"Last time I checked, I don't need your permission to go anywhere. I'm not your fucking property."

"Damn, you're so feisty. I like that in a woman. That's the kind of shit that gets me all hot. You better watch yourself doll, I might amp up my sex appeal in a minute."

My attempt at a flirty comeback slipped from my lips before I had a chance to stop it.

"Sorry honey, it would never work between us. I prefer my men to have smaller egos. I can't be squashed by yours every time we enter a room together, that's not how I roll. As much as I've loved this little chat, I've really got to hit the road. Thanks for everything again Negan. Hopefully we'll see each other again sometime."

I turned around and started to make fast strides in the opposite direction. I was being childish by running away but I didn't care. I needed to get away from him as soon as possible, every time I glanced in his direction little red warning bells sounded off in my head. Before I got a decent distance from him he caught up to me in no time. The fucker wasn't even out of breath.

_Fuck. Why does he have to be so fast? Fucking tall, long legged piece of sh-_

He interrupted my internal rant by grabbing my wrist.

"If you take a fucking breather to cool your jets maybe you'd be able to hear my offer to give you a ride home."

_The fuck? A ride home? What in the hell?_

"What's in it for you?"

"Next time I come to Gatson with my men you'll come back with me to the compound for a grand tour led by yours truly. You'll look around, get to know a few Saviors, and then become completely fucking hooked. You'll be begging to be one of us in no time. Since I'm your knight in shining armor I will be so fucking gracious and strike a deal with you. Just wait, you'll sure as shit accept it too. That might not sound fucking reasonable right now, but believe me. All in good time doll, all in good time."

"You lost me here, I still don't get how this benefits you? If anything, I'm just another mouth to feed."

"I need more fucking people like you at the compound."

"Like me? I'm nothing special sugar."

"You're loyal to your leader and you actually told me the truth. Even though it took some work, but that's not the point I'm trying to fucking make. Do you know how many of my own men don't tell me the truth? I usually have to beat the fucking shit out of them to get an ounce of information in return. It costs people their lives and I'm sick of fucking losing my Saviors because of a bunch of dumbass punks want to show me how fucking huge their balls are by challenging me. A little bonus is that you're able to keep up with my sense of humor, which earns you some major fucking brownie points. You've made a strong first impression darlin, consider me impressed."

To say that I was taken aback was an understatement.

"Thanks. From what I can tell, you're not too bad yourself Negan."

His grin faltered for a moment after my compliment. It happened so quickly I would've have noticed if we weren't standing so close. Any trace of Negan actually having emotions was gone in an instant.

"Alright alright, before I get all fucking warm and fuzzy inside why don't we hightail it on outta here? Sound like a plan?"

"We got ourselves a deal. Please just get me home in one piece."

I turned around for the first time since he'd arrived and cursed at the sight of a large black truck.

"Are you shitting me?"

"What the fuck has crawled up your ass now?" He barked over his shoulder as he slung the passenger's side door.

"You're the one that scared the shit out of me. I had to run through the forest to get away from you. Fucking asshole."

He laughed again, holding his free hand up in defense.

"That little speck I saw hop into the trees was you? I thought that shit was a fucking deer or a dead one. Good thing I followed the road to check it out, huh? This day can't get any fucking better. The stars have fucking aligned darlin, it was meant for us to meet after all."

I was in the process of sliding in the backseat when he slammed his hand on the door next to me causing me to jump.

"Oh, now I'm fucking offended. You wanna sit in the back all by your lonesome? What's wrong with the passenger's seat? Has my sexiness become too much for you to handle or something?"

"I just assumed that seat was for Lucille."

I shifted in my seat to look at him, expecting some kind of innuendo fueled response. He opened his mouth and closed it again. It was obvious he was trying to determine what he'd say, but that's what threw me off, he didn't say anything. All he did was crack this smile. Not the shit-eating grin he had permanently pasted on his face, he truly smiled for the first time and I didn't know how to respond. It was absolutely gorgeous and before I knew it, I was smiling too.

I tried to read his eyes as they gazed down at me.

"Rose, sweetheart, I think this is the start of a beautiful fucking friendship."

He lightly closed my door and laid Lucille in her rightful place. He didn't say anything else as he jumped in the driver's seat and started the car. He rolled his window down and hung one arm out, the other was carelessly draped across the steering wheel. A few moments later and we were off, headed towards what I could only hope was home. I shut my eyes in a desperate attempt at sleep, but the bumpy road constantly jolted me awake. Annoyed, I tossed and turned in my seat, trying to regain feeling in my numb limbs.

I cleared my throat to get Negan's attention. "What's the rush honey? Why don't you slow down and cruise?"

"Sorry darlin, I live in the fast lane. Plus, I can't hear you over how much I'm fucking enjoying myself over here." He adjusted the front mirror so he could look directly at me. He punched the gas and waited for my reaction.

A nervous chuckle erupted from my mouth as I watched the speedometer flick to sixty miles per hour.

"You sure you don't want to sit up here with me? You'll get to see a helluva lot more. I mean look these fucking trees. And this fucking grass! So fucking great."

_Be nice and sit with the poor old man, he's lonely. Plus he smells really fucking good._

"Fine, fine. Jesus Christ, you sure know how to pester a woman."

"I sure as hell do. Here, take care when you're handlin my girl alright."

Without slowing down he grabbed Lucille and handed her to me. I was almost afraid to touch the bat, wondering what would happen if I caused damage to her in any way. I weighed her in my hands and studied the stained wood. There was a moment of hesitation before I carefully placed her on the seat next to me.

"Can you at least slow the fuck down so I don't launch myself into the dashboard?" I said as I stood up swaying back and forth on my way to the front of the vehicle.

"Fuck, I was looking forward to that." He snickered.

"You were looking forward to me getting seriously injured? I thought you said you needed people like me." I asked with an arched eyebrow. I slid into my seat with a plop, instantly clicking my seatbelt into place.

"Oh no sweetcheeks, I wouldn't want you to hurt your pretty little head. I was just looking forward to a fucking eyeful of that ass in my face."

Before I considered the possible consequences, I reached over and slapped the right side of his face. As I realized that I had underestimated myself and used more force than I had intended, I started to question my actions. Any regrets I had turned into amusement as I saw his stunned facial expression, it was absolutely priceless.

"Oops," I said sarcastically.

He shook his head as a wide grin spread across his face. He glanced in my direction before turning his attention back to the road. "I have to admit, that kinda turned me on."

I barely heard his laughter over my own. I knew it wasn't that funny but I honestly didn't care, I hadn't laughed like that in years. I knew I shouldn't be this friendly with a man I had just met, especially one like Negan, but everything just felt so calming. It felt like being around him lifted every burden off my shoulders, like he would take care of everything and all I had to do was sit back and relax. Tears formed in the corners of my eyes, a result from my hysterical laughter and sheer joy. I carelessly wiped them away, hitting my lip in the process.

"Fuck." I mumbled as I noticed the blood on my fingertips.

"What?"

"Nothing, my lip just hurts like a motherfucker."

"That reminds me, I wanna know who the fuck did that to you."

"A nobody. It was nothing Negan."

He slowed down as he tightly gripped the steering wheel with both hands.

"No, no, no. Don't give me that shit. I thought we've been over this. Who do I need to fuck up for you?"

"You don't need to do anything for me Negan. Haven't you done enough? Honestly, it's fine."

I paused for a moment, waiting to see if he would accept that as an answer. A simple sigh was his response.

"Look, I told you it was nothing because I took care of it. I'm not always a damsel in distress honey, today was just a bad fucking day. It was just one of the girls back at camp, I caught her in my house stealing my shit."

Negan let out a low whistle.

"Well fuck, I would've loved to see that shit. Nothing better than a cat fight. Looks like it wasn't that serious though if the only fucking injury you got is a busted ass lip."

"Oh, this is nothing sugar, you should see her."

I smirked as I remembered Brooke's shocked expression as I punched her square in the face. I was going to leave it at that too, but once I found out she had ripped my family photos to shreds I changed my mind fairly quickly. 

"Atta girl. Next time ya'll get into a fucking fight, let me know ahead of time alright?"

"Really Negan? I can just see you fucking laughing as I get my ass beat."

"Oh fuck that, you think I'd just stand on the fucking sidelines? That bitch wouldn't be able to walk after I was done with her."

I sat in my seat, staring at the side of his face as he continued driving. I quickly pieced together his somewhat cryptic words, coming to the conclusion that he had formed some kind of attachment to me. The thought that I was overthinking things danced in my head, but as I was adding up everything, something seemed more than off.

_You fucking dumbass, you've known him for less than a day and you're already in too deep. All you have to do is get home, then you can go from there. You won't have to see him again._

I cleaned my throat loudly, unaware that he had noticed my hesitation before speaking again.

"Well it's nice to know someone has my back."

"That's what happens when you become a Savior darlin, that's just a fucking bonus perk. My fucking protection twenty four fucking seven."

My words tumbled out of my mouth before I had a chance to properly process them.

"So if I'm not a Savior yet, why are you being so nice to me?"

-Why in the fuck's na-

"Didn't your momma ever teach you to not look a gifted horse in the fucking mouth?"

"Didn't your momma ever wash your mouth out with a bar of soap for that dirty mouth of yours?"

He snickered at my statement, quickly forming it into an inuenndo. 

I beat him to the punch though.

"And no Negan, I am not fucking interested in what exactly your dirty mouth can do."

His smirk faltered as he made a swift turn to the left, thankfully heading in the right direction.

"You're no fucking fun when you're grumpy as hell sweetcheeks."

"Well my fucking bad for being exhausted. I haven't slept in god knows how long. And I swear to god if you make a comment about sex I'm going to duck and roll out of the fucking car."

His loud laugh eased a smile to my lips as I shifted away from him to face the window.

"By all fucking means, take a fucking nap for christ's sake. It's not like I'm gonna fucking try something while you're out. That's just not how I roll sweetheart."

With a light scoff and a wave of my hand, I positioned my backpack underneath my head and shimmed out of my jacket to use as a blanket.

"Sweet fucking dreams doll."

"I might actually be able to dream if you would stop fucking talking."

His light chuckle was the last thing I heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, alright. This was basically just something to establish some sort of relationship before they reach Gatson so it isn't all jumbled around and overwhelming. Plus, flirting is key, wink wink. Expect more fluff and more of an actual backstory for Rose. They should be arriving in Gatson within the next couple of chapters, so that's a thing. 
> 
> Updates are gonna be hella slow because the writer's block is real. Plus I'm constantly worrying if I'm doing Negan justice, and I usually end up re-writing the chapters about four to five times. I will make sure to notify my peeps if I actually changed something worth noticing. (Aka what I've done with Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 since originally posting them.)
> 
> If you find any mistakes; typos, words in the wrong places, sentences that are hard to understand, something not adding up, etc. Please shoot me a message! I won't bite, I promise.
> 
> And kudos, comments, bookmarks, and hits are much appreciated! You don't know how much it surprised me that people actually read my first chapter. 
> 
> Toodles. <3


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